Addendum:
"With the beginning of the Berlin Airlift in 1948 this, however, changed radically. The Western allies, the United States, the United Kingdom and France, were looking for additional air bases that could be utilised for the airlift. Strategically, Celle offered favourable conditions for supply flights being located at the end of the middle air corridor to Berlin and having the shortest distance to Berlin. Unlike other air bases, Celle was not completely handed over to the United States Air Force but remained under the control of the Royal Air Force even though the aircraft using the airfield were American.

After RAF Fassberg and RAF Wunstorf Celle became the third base in the region to serve in the airlift. USAF 317th Troop Carrier Wing (Hvy) equipped with Douglas C-54 Skymaster were stationed on the air base at the end of 1948 and transported mostly coal to Berlin. In order to cope with the enormous traffic the air base was extended, receiving an unusually long (about 300 metres) rail siding and, for the first time, a runway with an asphalt surface.

At the beginning of the airlift a total of 600 tons of freight were transported into the besieged city which increased to 1000 tons of coal and food each day in the spring of 1949. The American forces were assisted by 5000 German workers in this undertaking. In order to house them, north of the barracks a huge housing area consisting of Nissen huts was built....

From the time the 40th began operating at Wiesbaden/RAF Celle until shortly after the Berlin blockade was lifted the following summer, the Squadron flew approximately 10,550 round trips to Berlin transporting a grand total of 100,000 tons of supplies into the besieged city. (Wiesbaden, Germany, 16 Nov 1948; Celle RAF Station, Germany, 15 Dec 1948-14 Sep 1949.)

Next to the road leading to Celle Air Base, a monument in memory of the support given by Celle to the Berlin Airlift was erected by the city of Celle in 1988." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celle_Air_Base (edited)